All about Synthetic Motor Oil

How Synthetic is your "Synthetic" Oil?

Should you be
curious or daring to know ...

... read on!

Introduction

Many consumers are not just surprised but quite often shocked to learn that
the "Synthetic Oils" for which they pay premium price (3 to 9
times that of Petroleum Oil) are not only not performing any better than
average Petroleum Motor Oil, but also are not "Synthetic" at all!

(Society of Automotive Engineers) deleted any and all definitions of
"synthetic" from all specifications relating to oils.

API

(American Petroleum Institute) never defined what "synthetic" is.

NAD

(National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus)
ruled that "Synthetic" is a marketing term and that it is the
responsibility of the Marketer (the one who labels and markets the oil) to
define what it is.

Back labels of Mobil 1 products for many years had
following statement:

" * exclusive of carrier oil"

in substantially smaller print when compared to other information on the
back label. While at the same time the front label declared the Mobil 1
as:

"100% Synthetic * "

Synthetic Religion

The "synthetic" oil business is regarded by many in the oil
industry as a "religion" whose followers are holding a belief that
"synthetic" is somehow superior, but lack the actual proof.

This "faith" is very profitable for all marketers of
"synthetic" products, as they can charge substantially higher price
when the term "synthetic" is incorporated in to the product
description.

The information on following pages has been provided to enlighten the
average consumer of Motor Oil, Gear Oil, ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) and
Grease with information, which is seldom made publicly available by the oil
industry.

What you do not know about oil, can harm your vehicle, and what you do not
know about "synthetic" oil can cost you money, you need not spend to
get the same or better performance for less.

Synthetic - Definitions

If you use any current Web Browser and search for "Synthetic
Definition" you will get well over a million hits ! If you take time to read at least the first few definitions, which most likely
will be from a "Dictionary" web, you will find that not every
Dictionary has "exactly" the same definition, and that there is
actually quite a variety and range of "definitions".

General Definitions

The prevalent "general definition terms for
"Synthetic" are:

ARTIFICIAL

Man Made

Fake

Imitation

Not Natural in Origin

from New Latin syntheticus, from Greek sunthetikos =
expert in putting together

from suntithenai = to put together

First Known Use: 1697

Chemistry Definitions

When we limit our Definitions of "Synthetic" to
"Chemistry", in general following definitions will be most common.

Made by chemical process

Made artificially by chemical synthesis

Not of natural origin

Oil Industry Definition

Several Oil Industry and Oilfield Glossaries use this definition:

synthetic base fluid Any of a number of fluids (liquids) manufactured from starting products of
known composition and purity. Popular fluid types include several olefin
oligomers of ethylene. Esters made from vegetable fatty acid and alcohol
were among the first such fluids. Ethers and polyethers, made from alcohols
and polyalcohols, have been used, along with paraffinic hydrocarbons and
linear alkyl benzenes.

Their definition however relates to Drilling Fluids and Mixtures of these
fluids that are also used to make synthetic-base muds.

Lube Oil Industry Definitions

When it comes to the Lube Oil Industry and the various Lube Producers, one
would expect to find an universal fit all definition of "synthetic"
that everyone in the Lube Industry would consent to.

However, that is not the case and each and every Oil Company, Lube Company
as well as each Marketer, have their own very "legally" specific definition of
their very own - that fits the description of what their products are actually
made of !

But in general:

Although called "synthetic" these oils are not made of
artificial ingredients

"Synthetic" Lube Base oils have the same ingredients that are
typical in conventional motor oils

Through chemical reactions, or modified refining procedures, petroleum is
recombined to create new molecular blends with better lubricating features
- and this is what is labeled as "synthetic"

Such "Synthetic" oils do not contain contaminants like
traditional oils, which often have trace amounts of sulfur, wax and other
buildup. This enables "synthetics" to flow better at lower
temperatures

American Petroleum Institute (API)

API
while being the MAJOR role player in the Petroleum Industry and especially in
the field of Motor Oils for Automotive applications, one would also expect that
they would have a very specific and "exact" definition of what
constitutes "Synthetic".

But strangely there is NONE !

API
of course is involved in the Motor Oil Licensing program, where if the Licensee
pays a "fee", then the Licensee can use on the back label of their Motor Oil
the coveted "API Donut".

Various documents are necessary to be submitted along with the Licensing Fee
to API, mainly to demonstrate that the "Additive
Package" meets certain performance level as defined in the "API Category
Listing", and that the product is suitable for use as Motor Oil.

While the Licensed Motor Oil must meet the established MINIMUM for
performance under a specific API Category, other than this MINIMUM performance
requirement, there is no differentiation in any product that is BETTER than the
MINIMUM.

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

While SAE issues many standards that are related to Motor Oil, over 20 years
ago all references and "definitions" of what constitutes a "Synthetic"
lubricant were deleted from such standards.

ExxonMobil

Since the merger with Mobil Oil in 1999,
ExxonMobil markets the Lubricants under the
Mobil 1 brand.

Their definition of Synthetic is:

Synthetic motor oils (such as Mobil 1) contain more highly refined
base oils than those used in conventional mineral oils, which can offer you
better protection and performance. Synthetic oils provide a variety of
benefits, such as excellent high- and low-temperature performance, that can
provide excellent engine protection.

Both types of engine oil are made from crude
oil that comes from the ground.

The difference is that synthetic oils undergo numerous additional
highly advanced distilling, refining, and purification processes - and
therefore are of a higher purity and quality than conventional mineral
oils. This not only removes more impurities from the original crude, it
also enables the engineering of the lubricant's individual molecules to
be uniform and consistent, tailored to meet the specific high-performance
demands of modern engines. These customized molecules provide higher levels
of protection and performance, even in extreme conditions.

The performance of synthetic motor oil is more robust, especially in
terms of low-temperature pumpability, high-temperature stability, and
protection against deposits. These attributes translate directly into less
engine wear and longer engine life.

Strangely within 3 weeks after we published the "exact" copy from above link within our web page, while the above
link is still functional (try it) the previously published paragraphs completely disappeared from the referenced www.mobiloil.com website !
Why ?

Both Exxon and Mobil in
the past have produced chemically synthetic base oils. In case of Exxon they were mostly synthetic
hindered esters. In case of Mobil they were C10 based
Poly-alpha-olefins (PAO).

"Alkylated Naphthalene" under Synesstic
Brand and Ester under Esterex Brand are made
by associated company - ExxonMobil Chemical.

Amsoil

Amsoil of course likes to label their products with the
Trademarked Slogan: "The First in Synthetics"

At the same time while proclaiming the benefits of "synthetic"
Amsoil products, they only describe their benefits, but fail
to define what "synthetics" are.

Following is statement about "synthetic" from
Amsoil website:

Synthetic lubricants are chemically engineered to form pure lubricants.
Synthetic lubricants contain no contaminants or molecules that don't serve
a designed purpose. They are made from molecules that are saturated with a
higher percentage of carbon-hydrogen bonds, leaving fewer sites to which
other, harmful molecules can attach and attack the molecular composition of
the oil. In addition, their smooth, uniform lubricating molecules slip
easily across one another. In short, synthetics' versatility and pure,
uniform molecular structure impart properties that provide superior
friction-reduction, optimum fuel efficiency, maximum film strength and
extreme-temperature performance conventional lubricants just can't touch.

Amsoil does not have and never had any capability both
technologically and equipment wise to produce ANY lubricant base oil.

They simply re-package products that are bought in bulk from other
companies, bottle them and put their own label on them.

While AMSOIL (originally AMZOIL) was proud to apply for US Trademark "The First in Synthetics" on August 17, 1994; which was eventually registered on
January 28, 1997 (Registration Number 2033283), and while AMSOIL was always "claiming" to only have "synthetic" Motor Oil, it is interesting to note that the Trademark application
specifically states: "para-synthetic lubricating oil" !

Further AMSOIL applied for yet another US Trademark registration for the same "slogan": "The First in Synthetics" on
January 31, 2006; which was subsequently issued on February 20, 2007 (Registration Number 3210848), now covering other products, most of which have no connection to anything "synthetic" such as namely:
"Automotive cleaning preparations".

Clearly the "synthetic" business for AMSOIL is not really working out that great, as at first the company found it necessary to offer to their
Independent Dealers other products such as:

The further degradation of the AMSOIL gospel resulted now in offering products made from API Group III base oils (XL) and even newer products (OE) that now preach the previously
abhorred: "3,000 mile or 3 Month oil change interval " !

Shell Oil Company

Shell also only describes the benefits of
"Synthetics" but also fails to define them.

Synthetic base oils give enhanced performance because they are
manufactured using advanced chemical processes, so their molecular
structure and hence, their properties, can be closely controlled. For
example, fully synthetic oils are designed to flow more easily at start-up
temperatures (which is when most wear occurs). They are more resistant to
heat and more easily protected by antioxidant additives (oxidation is a
natural degradation process that occurs in oil over time). They are also
less volatile than mineral oils.

Shell also does not have any production capability to make
any "synthetic" chemical products that are not made from petroleum
crude.

All Motor Oils under brands that are owned or controlled by
Shell are based on API Group III or API Group
II+ Base Oils, even when they are labeled as "synthetic".

Shell however has mastered the additive chemistry to such
extend that some of their "synthetic" labeled products are almost (but
not quite) on par in performance with Motor Oils based on PAO or
Ester chemistry.

Chevron

Chevron is one of the few Oil Companies that used to have
the capacity to make PAO based on C10, and it is the ONLY company in
the World that made PAO based on C12.

Strangely, however, they are not at all famous for marketing any
"synthetic" Motor Oils.

The few products they do have with "synthetic" on the label,
disclose the in the product MSDS composition as: "Highly refined mineral oil
(C15 - C50) Mixture 60 - 100 % by
weight".

The C10 and C12 PAO products sold under the
SynFluid brand are now made by
Chevron-Phillips in Cedar Bayou, Texas USA.

Synthetic CLAIMS

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Synthetic Lube Marketers are the
"synthetic" or "artificial" and even outright "fake"
claims they make about their products as well as in some cases their companies.

Some typical claims are:

We are FIRST

Only WE have it

Being FIRST

We were first !

One prevalent advertising ploy in the synthetic oil industry is that almost
without an exception every company anywhere in the World claims to be the very
"First " - in something !

To a casual observer it is quickly obvious that not every company can
possibly be "First " and that sometimes a "second " or even the "late-comer "
can actually be either "Better" or "Cheaper".

You will never find any financial institution that proudly proclaims: "We
are the "Second XYZ bank"!

However, there is the illusion in the consumer market that the claim of
"First in something" somehow is identified with Quality or Superiority in the
field of "synthetic " lubricants.

Examples:

AMSOIL = "The First in Synthetics" - The company did
not exist before 1972 !

CASTROL reformulates Syntec motor oils
with API Group III (petroleum) base stock from
Shell and continues to market them as
"synthetic".

1995

Mobil Oil announced that it had decided to permanently withdraw its AV-1 fully synthetic oil from the market, and was recalling existing stocks of AV-1 from its distributors.

1996

SynLube
introduces SynLube™ Lube−4−Life®"The
FIRST oil you do NOT change"!

1997

Pep Boys stops selling synthetic motor oil under their own brand name

1999

Mobil introduces Mobil 1
"Tri-synthetic" version of their motor oil The third "secret" ingredient was Alkylated Naphthalene

1999

NAD rules that
hydroisomerized base oils (API Group III) can be classified as "synthetic oils"

1999

Exxon and Mobil merges to ExxonMobil.

2000

Mobil 1 introduces Synthetic-Blend motor oil

2000

Mobil 1 introduces SAE 0W-30 RACING Synthetic motor oil

2001

Synthoil goes out of business

2002

Mobil 1 introduces Synthetic motor oil with
SuperSyn.

2003

SynLube
introduces SAE 0W-40 PZEV Motor Oil SynLube™ Lube−4−Life® motor oil, specially formulated for low
emission engines that are designed to use SAE 0W-20 or
SAE 5W-20 motor oils. This new formulation is suitable for 15 year or 150,000 mile service
without oil changes.

Mobil 1 adds "disclaimers" onto the back label of "Extended Performance" Motor Oil with 15,000 mile advertised
service life; and now advises users to follow the OEM oil drain intervals (same as for petroleum oil) on all vehicles under warranty

2008

AMSOIL adds to their line "7,500 mile / 6 Month" Motor Oil (XL) based on API Group III Basestock

2009

AMSOIL changes the (XL) service interval to "10,000 mile / 6 Month"

2010

AMSOIL adds to their line "3,000 mile / 3 Month" Motor Oil (OE) based on API Group III Basestock

2011

AutoZone starts selling synthetic motor oil under their own brand name

Not Invented here

Companies that invent or develop certain products often proclaim and insist
that only their own products, are the ONLY ones to use, because after
all "they" Invented it.

If someone invents or develops something else, anywhere, that may be same or
even better; well it can not possibly be ANY GOOD !!!

It
was NOT Invented here!

Therefore, company that Invented PAO swears by it.Company that Invented Polyol swears by it. Company that Invented Ester swears by it. Company that Invented Poly-Glycol swears by it. Company that Invented stuff, that does not even have common generic name yet,
swears by it.

The argument of superiority seems to fade somewhat, when the ultimate
purpose " Lubrication"
is compared to "Light".

Lubricant Enlightenment

No
seriously: "LET THERE BE LIGHT!"

Consider this:

Your objective is to have
"Light".

You can achieve it with naturally occurring sources such as
Sun or Moon.

You can achieve it with flame from Wood, Coal, Wax, Oil or whatever else
will burn.

You can achieve it by making materials incandescent with heat such as molten
metal, lava, etc.

You can achieve it by electric spark such as discharge lamps.

You can achieve it by electron flow in certain gases such as Neon.

You can achieve it by electron potential in electro-luminescent materials.

You can achieve it by chemical reaction either natural (firefly) or man
induced (phosphorus).

Or you can achieve it by combination of effects such as in incandescent bulb
or fluorescent tube.

If "Light" is your ultimate objective, what does
it matter how it is generated as long as it serves it's ultimate purpose: it
allows you to "see".

You can spend eternity to argue the superiority of one source over the
other, the relative wavelengths, energy efficiencies, the abundance of the
source at any given time or location, but the ultimate result is that any and
all of the above will provide "Light"

Similarly in the lubricant business the objective is
"Lubrication".

So that surfaces in intimate contact and in relative motion will move freely
without excessive wear, noise generation (remember the squeaky wheel?), or any
other problems that would impair the device's usefulness and longevity.

The fact that lubricant is "synthetic" or Man-made does not
immediately render it superior to a Petroleum sourced product, or even one of
Vegetable or Animal origin.

Just as chemically produced light might not be automatically superior to
sunlight.

However, in some specific application it just might be the "ONLY"
right light to use.

The superior "Lubricant" is the one that achieves
its purpose in a specific application for a specific desired service life and
service severity at a minimal cost (both financial and environmental).

The superiority of any lubricant has nothing to do with it being or not
being "synthetic".

The only superiority of Man-made products is that the performance,
composition, etc. is far more predictable, more consistent, than composition of
any products from natural sources.

The performance repeatability of Man-made "synthetic" products is
really the superior advantage over naturally sourced products.

For example:

Each "batch" of Base Oil produced, even from the Crude Oil from the same Oil Field, can vary
in specifications and performance. And therefore the ultimate performance of
the final product in a consumer application can NOT be
totally predictable or repeatable.

There are dozens of well-documented episodes of Motor Oils, that failed to
properly protect engines in the field, yet were produced the same way as other
batches that had no apparent problems.

The "synthetic" Man-made products on the other hand can be made
uniform day after day for years to come with virtually no distinction or
variation in final performance.

"Synthetic" therefore is not better by virtue of being
"synthetic"; but it is definitely better than "natural" by
virtue of being uniform and consistent in quality and final performance.

Not Made
here

"It can't be any good because it was not invented here" is the
absolutely worst approach to lubrication, and unfortunately is the source of
many problems and inferior and very expensive products.

The curse of "Not Made here" is almost as bad, if not worse than the
"Not Invented here".

Company that makes PAO will ultimately produce final
lubricant, which is mostly PAO.

Company that makes Ester will ultimately produce final
lubricant, which is mostly Ester.

Both will claim that their final lubricant is superior in every aspect of
performance to the one made by the other competitor. Neither will acknowledge that their competitor's product has ANY merit.

Once again: "LET THERE BE LIGHT,
AGAIN!"

Once we depart from "lubricant business" to
"Light", we can immediately see how silly an argument
that is too!

It is in most circumstances as silly as proclaiming the superiority of GREEN light over RED light, when the ultimate
need is for a WHITE
light. OK, so no matter what you do, you can only create "colored" light, but
wait what if you ADD a BLUE
light = end result of mix of RED GREEN BLUE (RGB) just like on your
computer's monitor is WHITE
light.

So similarly mixing PAO with Ester is
better than either alone, irrespective of the producer's claims, but wait what
if you ADD a Polyol as well, it will be better yet!

That's why at SynLube
we DO NOT produce ANY base stocks, we just buy the very best from
who ever has what WE need to formulate and blend the ABSOLUTELY BEST PERFORMING finished product.

We at SynLube are not suffering from the "Not Made here" dilemma.

By not having multi million dollar investments tied up in production
equipment that new developments can make instantaneously obsolete, we have the
luxury of being very flexible and have the ability to make the
BEST products at ALL times.

When something new or better becomes available we immediately incorporate it
in our product development and testing.

While most other companies only use one or two "synthetic" Base
Oils, and Mobil used to use three in their improved
"Tri-synthetic" formula of Mobil 1, we at SynLube have been using
FIVE different Base Oil Fluids and THREE
colloidal Solids in our SynLube™
Lube−4−Life®
products since 1969 !

This is not done with intend to be "different", but with intend to have the VERY BEST products.

However, our customers are ultimately protected from being the test guinea
pigs, because nothing is released to our final customer unless it has been
tested for over 150,000 miles and many years in our test vehicles and
those of participating fleets.

When you get a SynLube™
Lube−4−Life®
product it is not NEW and IMPROVED, but it is
PROVEN, DEPENDABLE and FULLY TESTED and when WE say
FULLY - it is 100%!

When full is not full & 100% is not 100% (Part 1)

Usually when reasonable intelligent people say that something is 100% or
Full or Fully (something) then this to other reasonable intelligent people
really means that:

"100% means unity or
FULL".

Well, not so in the oil industry or more specifically in the Synthetic
Lubricant part of it.

"Full" or "Fully" is not really meaning that
ALL of it (lubricant) is what it says.

"100% Synthetic" is not really a lie, when less than 100% of the finished
product is "Synthetic", because cryptically it relates to something
else (Base Oil), and therefore it is the TRUTH.

Except that {or "exclusive of" as they like to say}, it (100%) really does
not relate to what you think

The finished product - such as Motor Oil.

Here then is the expose, and the sorted details that are the norm in the
Synthetic Lubricant Business.

Carrier Oil

The case of the elusive "carrier oil".

Example:

Back labels of Mobil 1 products for many years had
following statement on them:"* exclusive of carrier oil" the statement was always in
substantially smaller print than the other information on the back label.

While at the same time the front label declared the Mobil 1
as:"100% Synthetic *" - in really large print on the front label.

If you are a good detective you'll notice that the statement on the Front
label ends with an asterisk (*) and the statement on the Back label
starts with an asterisk (*).

If you are really good, you'll figure out that the asterisks are the magical
"glue" that connects the two together and that what should be understood is:

" 100 %
Synthetic, exclusive of carrier oil ".

Well, that is only the beginning of our decoding mission. When asked,
majority of consumers has absolutely no idea what "carrier oil" is, or
what the meaning of "exclusive of" really is.

So if you are totally confused at this point, do not despair, soon you shall
be enlightened with a wisdom worthy of CLS (Certified
Lubrication Specialist).

First, however, you have to either consult your dictionary (a technical one
with specialties in oil industry well defined), or just have to take our word
for it. (see "Definitions" below)

A base stock is a mineral hydrocarbon or synthetic lubricant component that
is produced by a single manufacturer (independent of crude source or
manufacturing location), that meets the same manufacturer's specification, and
that is identified by a unique formula, product identification number, or both.

Oil (Petroleum), usually solvent neutral or process oil, used to "carry" or
dissolve and/or disperse additives, which would otherwise be too viscous or
even solid, and therefore not easily mixed with the Base Stock Oil.

Petroleum = From Latin Petra (Rock) and Oleum (Oil) therefore meaning "Rock
Oil" the term is commonly used to describe products made from "Crude Oil".

Conventional motor oil

Oil that is refined from crude oil that has been pumped from the ground and
which contains naturally occurring components such as:sulfur and sulfur compounds, reactive hydrocarbons and other "contaminants"
that can not be completely and economically removed from petroleum, and thus
end up in conventional motor oil Basestock.

Process oil

Oil not used for lubrication, but as a component of another materiel, or as
a carrier of other products, such as additives.

Oils produced by "synthesis" (chemical reaction) rather than by extraction
or conventional refinement.

Oils that previously were NOT considered as "synthetic" such as those that
are produced by "severe refining", "hydrogenation" or other complex chemical
processes that yield a more stable molecular uniformity and higher degree of
purity that is not achievable through normal "conventional" refining process
are NOW also labeled as "synthetic" by their respective producers (SHELL,
ExxonMobil, BP, SUNOCO) - they however still are made from Petroleum Crude.

These "quasi-synthetics" are claimed to be almost as good as PAO
but are much cheaper to produce.

When full is not full & 100% is not 100% (Part 2)

Patience,
please, the ultimate truth will be revealed soon!

Read the definitions several times and try to understand them!

OK here is the reasoning for:

"
100 % Synthetic, exclusive of carrier oil ".

The "100%
Synthetic" relates to the Base Oil or Base Stock, it and only it (the
Base Stock) is synthetically made. In case of Mobil 1, it was
originally in 1970's PAO (Poly-alpha-olefin).

The "exclusive of
carrier oil" means in English that the Carrier or the Process Oil that
is used to "carry" the additives is not
synthetic oil and therefore, the final product (Motor Oil) is NOT 100% Synthetic, even though the Base Oil is 100%
Synthetic.

GOT
THAT ?

Well then, what does Mobil (now ExxonMobil) have to say about that ?

Q: Is Mobil 1 a fully synthetic oil?

A: Yes, it's 100% synthetic. The base stocks used in blending Mobil
1 are all "chemically constructed" instead of being simply segregated
out of crude oil like conventional mineral oils.

Q: Then why does it say it contains a petroleum carrier for additives?

A: All motor oils contain additives that provide extra protection against
wear, corrosion and engine deposits. These additives are usually high molecular
weight materials - sometimes even solids. Conventional carrier oil is used to
make these additives soluble. All motor oils will contain some of this carrier
oil, usually only amounting to a small percentage of the finished product.

A: Conventional motor oils are refined from crude oil that has been pumped
from the ground. While petroleum refining is an advanced science, naturally
occurring components, such as sulfur, reactive hydrocarbons and other
materials, can never be completely removed from petroleum, and thus may end up
in conventional motor oil base stocks.At the opposite end of the spectrum, providing the highest performance and
protection level, are fully synthetic motor oils like Mobil 1 with SuperSyn
family of lubricants, the leading synthetic motor oil and the "official Motor
Oil of NASCAR".Fully synthetic lubricants are formulated in several ways, using
high-performance synthetic base oils. These products are produced either
through a chemical reaction called "synthesis", severe refining or other
complex chemical processes that yield a molecular uniformity and degree of
purity that is impossible to achieve through normal refining process.

Source of above Question and Answer is NASCAR PERFORMANCE - Summer 2003 from
article originated by ExxonMobil and titled "Getting up to Speed about
SYNTHETIC LUBRICANTS".

AHA
!!!

Are you clear on the subject NOW?

Perhaps a small question still lurks on your mind, how small a "small
percentage" is?

Well, for that we have to go to a company like Infineum
that produces the additive packages such a PARANOX 5043 and
PARANOX 5510 for synthetic lubricants.

The active ingredients are 1.94% to 4.07% by Mass (weight) the balance is
Petroleum Oil.

That is about 98% or 96% of the "Additive Package" in ready to blend form is
Petroleum Oil.

They (Infineum) recommend treat rate for FULLY FORMULATED
lubricant (Motor Oil) of 10 to 20% of the finished product.

NOW for MATH
WIZARDS:

If 100% of the Base Oil is 100% Synthetic;

If 98% to 96% of the "Additive Package is Petroleum";

If 10 to 20% of the finished product is the Additive Package;

Then, how many % of Petroleum and how many % of Synthetic are in the
finished Motor Oil?

SOLUTION:

When the treat rate is 10% and the Additive Package contains 2% of active
ingredients,then the finished product will be 90% Synthetic with 9.8% Petroleum and 0.2% of
additives.

When the treat rate is 20% and the Additive Package contains 4% of the
active ingredients,then the finished product will be 80% Synthetic with 19.2% Petroleum and 0.8%
of additives.

The "small percentage" (according to ExxonMobil)
actually is 9.8% to 19.2%.

Many investors would be thrilled to get such a "small percentage" return on
their money !!

(Just for the record, the average dividends for Mobil and
Exxon over last 20 years have been in 2% to 4% range, and they
jointly term this as "significant" return on Shareholders' Equity in their
Annual Reports). Currently the ExxonMobil (XOM) stock trades at about $90.00
per share while the quarterly dividend is in 42 to 50 cent range = about 1.9%
annual rate of return !

In recent press release ExxonMobil proudly proclaimed this:

"Through its dividends, the corporation has shared its success with its
shareholders for more than 100 years and has increased its annual dividend
payment to shareholders for 23 consecutive years."

- even this statement is not true since ExxonMobil did not
exist 23 years ago as it were two separate and Independent companies
(Exxon AND Mobil).

When 100% Synthetic contains 20% of Petroleum

OK then "100% Synthetic Motor Oil" is not really "100%
Synthetic Motor Oil", but it is perfectly OK to say that it is 100%
Synthetic Motor Oil, because the Base Stock is 100% Synthetic and
that is what you really mean when the Motor Oil contains as much as 20% of
Petroleum, because the Petroleum is not the Base Oil but the Carrier Oil for
the Additives !!!

Now if YOU do not understand that, as most people do not, well that is just
way too bad.

After all you just might not be willing to pay so much more for Synthetic
Motor Oil if you knew it was not "100% Synthetic", or would you ?

Well, you probably are (paying too much)!

When 100% Synthetic is mostly Petroleum

And there is more!

In November 2006, ExxonMobil on their www.Mobil
1.com website asked the web visitors to:

"Ask your stickiest Question"

Well Jeff Willett of St. Peters, MO has asked this:

I have seen claims of gas chromatograph analysis of Mobil 1 Extended
Performance SAE 5W-30 API SM dated October 2006, that state it is "mostly
mineral oil". Realizing that you can not divulge your exact formulations,
what do you say to the critics that claim you are using a high percentage of
hydro processed mineral oil in Mobil 1, instead of the more
expensive PAO or polyester base stocks?

Amazingly someone (anonymously) from Mobil 1 web has replied, and the reply
was even posted briefly on the www.Mobil 1.com :

Just like other companies, we do not discuss our product formulations for
obvious proprietary reasons.

Mobil 1 Extended Performance is formulated using combination of high
performance fluids including PAO, along with proprietary system of performance
additives. But in the end, it is also about performance.

Mobil 1 is used by more Original Equipment Manufacturers
than any other oil as factory fill in their vehicles. Also take note of the
kind of testing we put our product through, including the "Las Vegas field
testing" we recently completed. The Mobil 1 technology is also tested each
weekend on the race track. In fact, more than 50 percent of NASCAR teams use
Mobil 1.

WOW that is a response worthy of a politician !

And just to set the record straight:

1.) SynLube
has been located in Las Vegas since 1989 so we have run our products in
hundreds of vehicles in Las Vegas for 23 years - Mobil 1
operated less than 10 cars for 90 days, about 15,000 miles on the average is
the "Las Vegas field test".

2.) The response does not even touch on the fact that the content of the
Mobil 1 which is now labeled as FULLY SYNTHETIC, is mostly PETROLEUM !

3.) Mobil 1 is used in just handful of vehicles, usually a
specialty cars, while their OEM manufacturer uses conventional PETROLEUM in
majority of their production, that is true about PORSCHE, GM, CHRYSLER, FORD,
MERCEDES-BENZ, etc.

4.) NASCAR Racing engines last typically less than 50 hours of use, and
there is no documentable advantage for teams that use Mobil 1
in their vehicles.

Mobil 1 sponsored race cars with Mobil 1
decals all over them fail to win and actually finish less often that their
competitors that DO NOT USE Mobil 1 products!

Statistically teams using Mobil 1 are at DISADVANTAGE.

Why if Mobil 1 is so superior do the Mobil
1 cars fail to win or even finish ?

Almost Synthetic is Synthetic even when it is Petroleum

Well, if you think that Mobil or
(ExxonMobil now) is less than honest, or even down right
deceptive, that is not the worst of it.

Many other brands of Synthetics (Shell, Castrol, Amsoil,
etc.) are NOT fully "synthetic" at all, at
least by the definition used for years by chemists in all chemical companies
around the World.

Some years ago SHELL in Europe and specifically in then
West Germany introduced Motor Oils that were manufactured from UHVI Petroleum
Base stock that although made from conventional crude oil, was subjected to
additional processing not common on "normal" or "typical" Base Oil production.

Companies like MOTUL, MOBIL, AGIP in their respective markets did not like
that labeling one bit, because the SHELL "synthetic" products were
sold for substantially less then their own Brands of "Synthetic"
Labeled products.

After years of lawsuits, court orders, appeals, contra-suits that clogged
the courts of several European countries. At different times and in different
countries contrary decisions or judgments were made.

What was "synthetic" in one country on one day was "not synthetic"
in another country at the same time.

A real confusion for a region of globe that aimed to "unify" in the near
future and become one great continent of "EURO".

What finally evolved from all this confusion was that the label term
"Synthetic" is a marketing term, and therefore it is up to the
"marketer" of the oil, to define what "synthetic" is.

AHA !!!

Therefore now anytime you subject conventional petroleum oil to any
unconventional process or reaction, irrespective of if it works (improves) or
not the Base Oil, you can for all practical purposes call it
"synthetic" i.e., Man-made.

SAE which had in its
lubricant specifications not only definitions of what constitutes a
"synthetic" but also a list of specific chemicals used as lubricants
that were considered "synthetic".

Although SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) is US based
organization, it aims at Global reach, and having one standard in the USA and
yet another in most of Europe was deemed as bad as having English and Metric
standards of measurements (at the same time).

The decision was made to go along with Europe (after all Metric is
better), and as a result all reference to "synthetic" in respect to
lubricants was deleted from ALL future SAE publications of
SAE Standards relating to Lubricants.

Since SAE is a non-profit organization of Engineers, it had
no desire nor financial might to involve itself in never ending lawsuits with
mighty oil and chemical companies, so the simple "deletion" of all
references to "synthetic" was perhaps the best and easiest decision.

When opportunity is there, it is only natural that some one will seize it.

It was CASTROL with their
Syntec® Synthetic Motor Oil, which when first
introduced up until December 1997 it was formulated with PAO sourced from
Mobil.

In January 1998 CASTROL started to use much cheaper
hydroprocessed petroleum base oils from SHELL.
Mobil lost the opportunity to sell PAO to
CASTROL.

Mobil Oil complained to National Advertising
Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus,
which in April 1999 finally ruled in CASTROL favor,
specifically allowing Syntec® Motor Oil made from
SHELL XHVI slack wax stream to be sold and promoted as
"synthetic".

To celebrate the legal opinion victory, CASTROL Company
spokesperson said:

"CASTROL is proud to be a major worldwide provider of synthetic formulated
lubricants, and looks forward to continued participation in this exciting
market. CASTROL is committed to upgrading its products and producing the
highest quality synthetic engine oils. We will continue to explore ways to
ensure that Syntec® remains a leading performer in
the synthetic category"

WOW, someone missed their calling to be a Politician !!!

So now "synthetic" can be marketed as "synthetic" even if
it is not a "synthetic"!

A slight clue that as good as "synthetic" is really not all
that good, can be found on www.castrol.com , when the
recommended oil change interval for CASTROLSyntec® Fully Synthetic Motor Oil is: 3,000 miles
or 3 months - just the same as for ordinary conventional Petroleum Motor
Oil.

When a drop of "synthetic" makes Petroleum into Synthetic

A PENNZOIL with PENNZANE® was not any better and PENNZOIL
claims were downright deceptive.

The PENNZANE® which is touted as "developed for and used by NASA"
has been actually developed for used in vacuum pumps, and computer drives. It
was never intended for or ever used in any engine!

PENNZANE® in its pure form costs about $400.00 per US quarts.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that in the Consumer version of the "synthetic" motor oil that used to sell for under $4.00 there was about a drop of PENNZANE® in 5 Gallons !

The Back Label of PENNZOIL "Synthetic" with PENNZANE® also
instructed the user to:

"change motor oil EVERY 3,000 miles for best
performance" !

Why then it costs four times as much conventional Petroleum Motor Oil if it
is not all that much better, and definitely does not last in service any
longer?

Someone has to PAY extra premium for the "synthetic" on the label,
even if the content is not "synthetic".

Since SHELL acquired PENNZOIL-QUAKER STATE
COMPANY the use of PENNZANE in PENNZOIL is no longer promoted.

All PENNZOIL or QUAKER STATE Labeled
products as well as all "synthetic" labeled lubricants sold at
Jiffy-Lube Fast Lubes use SHELL produced Base
Oil of API Group III or API Group II+.

Basically they are 100% Petroleum - but labeled as "synthetic" !

Was Synthetic Motor Oil ALWAYS Petroleum ?

NO - ABSOLYTELY NO
!!!

It was a handful of small companies in early 1970's that developed the
"First Synthetic" and while Amzoil (Yes it was Amzoil then and
NOT Amsoil) was one of them it was not the ONLY or the FIRST.

From the Big Oil it was Mobil with the introduction of Mobil
1 - the original idea of which, was to replace ALL the Motor Oils in
the market place with just ONE UNIVERSAL Motor Oil - that would be suitable for
use in All-Climatic conditions, year around. Thus the name Mobil 1.

The idea of "ONE" Motor Oil for all applications has however been introduced
by SynLube Company in 1969 !

While all these early Motor Oils performed well in most of brand new engines
that were made in 1970's, they were not really suitable for "older"
vehicles.

The Mobil 1 for example was of SAE 5W-20
Viscosity !

That was when most engines used SAE 10W-30 Motor Oil, so due to the low
viscosity oil consumption was issue.

Also Motor Oil was in 1970's sold in Paper Cans with either Metal or Paper
"tops" - the paper was treated on the inside with "Paraffin Wax" (Candle Wax)
and that made it "leak proof" as most Motor Oils were Paraffin based at that
time.

The first shipments of Mobil 1 SAE 5W-20 "Synthesized Engine Lubricant" were TOTAL disaster,
as even before they arrived to the Mobil Service Stations, they all
leaked !

The problem of course was that while PAO was not a good
solvent for Motor Oil additives, it was a great solvent for paraffin, so the
paper cans that were sealed with paraffin wax became "unglued" very quickly.

The EXXON (Esso) company had already solved such a
packaging problem years ago with their Synthetic
Ester Jet Engine Oil, by the use of rather expensive stainless steel
cans.

So Mobil followed that trend with similar 100% metal cans,
which were of course very expensive when compared to paper cans.

By the time a "second" generation of Mobil 1 was introduced
in to the marketplace Mobil Oil got the brilliant idea of
using the FIRST plastic jugs for their Mobil 1 products

That of course started a new trend as "plastic" bottles - something new -
were perceived as "premium" so the competition quickly adopted them as well for
all Motor Oils.

These "early" Motor Oils were what we call TRULLY Synthetic, the Base Stock
were made in limited quantities in chemical laboratories and NOT in some remote
corner of large refinery where the "today's synthetics" are
produced.

When these Synthetic Motor Oils were compared to anything else that was
available in 1970's that was produced by then rather crude methods from
Petroleum - they were simply "magical" !

The pivoting point in Synthetic Oil history was "The big debate over Synthetic OIL" an
11-page article that was published in April 1976 in Popular Science
Magazine - circulation of which at that time was in millions.

The article which is now available from Popular Science Magazine
Archive operated by Google Books is
definitely worth reading !

The 100,000 miles on Synthetic Oil without oil change are well documented it
that article, and also included are results of many tests sponsored by Mobil,
Ford and GM.

So way, way back then in 1976 it was not only possible but proven that
100,000 miles without oil change is a possibility.

Unfortunately with fame and prices 3 to 5 times higher than Petroleum Motor
Oil, there were lot of companies that started to market Synthetic Motor Oils of
dubious quality - and that to some extend was the start of the famous
"problems" like:

Synthetic Oils have excessive Oil Consumption

SAE 5W-20 Motor Oil was just too "thin" for most 1970's applications

Synthetic Oils make engines leak oil

Esters used in some Synthetics "swelled" and "softened" seals, which
made them leak

PAO used in some Synthetics "shrunk" seals, which made them leak

Synthetic Oils can not be mixed with Petroleum Oil

Some early exotic Synthetics polymerized in presence of Petroleum,
causing spectacular engine failures

While all of the above problems have been solved and engineered out of
today's synthetics, all synthetic oil marketers are still fighting these based
on truth "myths" even today almost 40 years later.

And of course the current "synthetic" Motor Oils that are "mostly"
Petroleum anyway, do not suffer form the aforementioned problems that specific
"truly synthetic" products caused.

The SynLube Difference

So now that you know the thick and thin of "synthetic", perhaps you
finally could and would appreciate the 100% Synthetic Colloidal
Super Lubricants from SynLube Incorporated .

no asterisks, no disclaimers, no excuses, no nonsense, no fine print - 100% really means 100%.

The Five different Base Oils that are blended together are all100% Man-made Synthetics and
NON-Petroleum!

The Three colloidal solid lubricants are also100% Man-made Synthetics

The various additives that are incorporated into the final SynLube™
Lube−4−Life®
products are all 100% Man-made Synthetics all
directly blended into the synthetic Base Oils, without the use of ANY Petroleum
Carrier Oil or Conventional Process Oils.

CONCLUSION

Perhaps today being honest and truthful is an old-fashioned and obsolete
business ethic, but that is how we at SynLube Incorporated
have been doing business ever since 1969.

No we are not the "First" and we are not the
"Biggest" when it comes to lubricants, but being what we are, when it
comes to lubrication, we are and can afford to be the "Best in the Solar
System, not just the Earth" !

And NOW - it is up to YOU the consumer and the vehicle owner or
operator.

With every penny that you spend you vote for the product that you ultimately
buy and use.

YOU have the final choice!

Will you choose to support products that are NOT what they say or
claim ?

Will you choose products that are promoted by false advertising?

Or will you choose the very best product, that in the long run cost much
less to use, than the mediocre?

When it comes to lubricants for your vehicle(s) the choice is simple:

There is:

SynLube™
Lube−4−Life®

the very best ...

... and then ...

... there is the rest!

So now that YOU know
"all about synthetic motor oil", which oil would you really rather have in
YOUR vehicle?